Overlapping rotatable disc type puzzle

ABSTRACT

A puzzle toy has manually-turnable actuators for transferring toy elements from one pocket to another until a desired puzzle solution is obtained.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to puzzle toys for the entertainment ofpersons of all ages.

2. Description of Related Art

It is known to provide puzzle toys wherein a plurality of toy elementsare slidably mounted for manual movement by a player along longitudinalrows and transverse columns in a housing. The toy elements are providedwith some visible indicia, e.g. a color, a number or a part of apicture. The correct puzzle solution is obtained when the toy elementsare re-arranged by the player to form a predetermined color pattern,sequence of numbers, or a picture. Although generally satisfactory fortheir intended purpose, the known puzzle toys are too difficult to solvefor some players, too easy to solve for other players, and, in anyevent, quickly lose their appeal after the puzzle solution has beenobtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

1. Objects of the Invention

It is a general object of this invention to provide a puzzle toy of highentertainment reward for persons of all ages.

It is another object of this invention to provide a puzzle toy which isinexpensive to manufacture and is of durable construction.

2. Features of the Invention

In keeping with these objects, and others which will become apparenthereinafter, one feature of this invention resides, briefly stated, in apuzzle toy having a puzzle solution. The toy comprises a housing havingconcave housing walls at least partly bounding internal circularcompartments. Each compartment overlaps at least one adjacentcompartment at a generally almond-shaped common area. Each circularcompartment has a center, a circular periphery along which a respectiveconcave housing wall extends, and a radial dimension extending from thecenter to the respective concave housing wall.

The toy further comprises a plurality of manually-turnable actuators,each mounted in a respective compartment for turning movement in eithercircumferential direction about a turning axis that is coincident with arespective center of the respective compartment. All of the turning axesare arranged along longitudinally-extending rows andtransversely-extending columns. Adjacent rows are spaced apart by saidradial dimension. Adjacent columns are also spaced apart by said radialdimension. Each actuator has a plurality of concave actuator walls thatface and bound generally almond-shaped pockets with respective concavehousing walls. The concave actuator walls also face and bound generallyalmond-shaped pockets with respective concave actuator walls of at leastone adjacent actuator.

The toy still further comprises a plurality of generally almond-shapedtoy elements, each mounted in respective pockets. The toy elements inthe pockets of each actuator are jointly turned during said turningmovement thereof about the periphery of the respective compartment inwhich each actuator is turned to transfer at least one toy element froma pocket of the actuator being turned to another pocket of an adjacentactuator.

The toy yet further comprises indicia on each toy element. The indiciaare arranged in a desired visual pattern when the puzzle solution isobtained. Preferably, the indicia are different colors provided eitherover the entire expanse of an upper surface of each toy element, oralong arc-shaped strips on a portion of the upper surface of each toyelement.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partly broken-away, top plan view of a first embodiment of apuzzle toy according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded top plan view of one actuator and four toyelements of the first embodiment of FIG. 1, together with a variation ofone of the toy elements;

FIG. 3 is a partly broken-away, top plan view of a second embodiment ofa puzzle toy according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV--IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a third embodiment of a puzzle toyaccording to this invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a fourth embodiment of a puzzle toyaccording to this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a fifth embodiment of a puzzle toyaccording to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, the puzzle toy or game in each embodimentis preferably of miniature size so as to fit in one's pocket or purse.Of course, the puzzle toy can also be made larger for use as a table-toptoy. The toy includes a housing 1 having concave housing walls thatbound internal circular compartments 2. Four such compartments are shownin FIG. 1. Each compartment 2 overlaps at least one adjacent compartmentat generally almond-shaped common areas identified by referencecharacters A. Each compartment has a center, a circular periphery alongwhich a respective concave housing wall extends, and a radial dimensionR extending from the center to the respective concave wall.

A plurality of manually-turnable actuators 6 are each mounted in arespective compartment 2 for turning movement in either circumferentialdirection about a turning axis that is coincident with a respectivecenter of the respective compartment. The turning axes are arrangedalong longitudinally-extending rows and transversely-extending columns.Adjacent rows are spaced apart by the radial dimension R. Adjacentcolumns are also spaced apart by the radial dimension R. As shown inFIG. 1, there are three horizontal rows and three vertical columns. Rows1 and 3 each have only one turning axis, while row 2 has two turningaxes. Columns 1 and 3 each have only one turning axis, while column 2has two turning axes.

Each actuator 6 has a generally star-shaped hub mounted on a centralturning shaft 8 which extends along a respective turning axis and iscoincident with the center of a respective compartment. Each actuatorhas a plurality, preferably four, of concave actuator walls. Two of theactuator walls face and bound generally almond-shaped pockets with tworespective concave housing walls. The other two actuator walls face andbound generally almond-shaped pockets with two concave actuator walls ofother actuators.

A plurality of generally almond-shaped toy elements 3 are each mountedin the respective pockets. The toy elements 3 are jointly turned duringthe turning movement of each actuator about the circular periphery ofthe respective compartment in which each actuator is turned. The fourtoy elements 3, together with their actuator in whose four pockets theyare mounted, constitute a toy unit 4 of which there are four in theembodiment of FIG. 1. The toy units 4 are arranged in a flat playingfield 5 so that each two adjacent units 4 overlap each other by theaforementioned common areas A, each of which corresponds to the area ofa respective toy element 3.

A transparent cover 7 overlies and closes the housing 1. Each shaft 8 ofthe actuators extends upwardly through the cover 7 (see FIG. 4) to forma handle which is accessible to be grasped by a player to turn eachactuator in either circumferential direction, as indicated by thedouble-headed arrows. This turning movement turns the four toy elementsin the pockets of the actuator being turned. When each actuator isturned 90°, i.e. a quarter turn, at least one of the toy elements 3 istransferred from the actuator being turned to an adjacent actuator.

Indicia 9 (see FIG. 2) are provided on the upper surface of each toyelement 3. The indicia can be any information, e.g. colors, numbers, oranalogous visually-distinguished information. As described herein, theindicia are a set of different colors, each color being separatelyidentified and labeled by the letters A, B, C. In the embodiment of FIG.1, each color covers the entire expanse of the upper surfaces of the toyelements 3.

FIG. 1 shows the desired puzzle solution to be arrived at by a player.Initially, the toy elements are not oriented in the illustrated puzzlesolution, but, instead, are jumbled. The player turns one of theactuators a quarter turn and transfers the colored toy element from thepocket of one actuator to the pocket of another actuator until thepuzzle solution is obtained.

FIG. 2 shows one of the toy units 4 with the FIG. 1 embodiment inexploded view. The almond-shaped toy elements 3 can also be described asovals with pointed ends, or as plates having opposite concavely-curvedsides. Reference numeral 9' in FIG. 2 shows a representative toy element3 which has two oppositely-curved arc-shaped strips of different colors,e.g. A and C, and represents a variant to the toy element 3 whose entireupper surface was colored by a single color, i.e. A, B or C.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, these are analogous to the embodiment ofFIG. 1. Hence, like reference numerals have been used to identify likeparts. Rather than the entire upper surface of each toy element beingcolored with a single color, or having the upper surface of each toyelement covered with two arc-shaped strips of different colors,reference numeral 9" identifies a representative toy element 3 having asingle arc-shaped strip as its indicium.

In addition, rather than having each actuator independently turnablerelative to the other actuators, a set of meshing gears 10, 11 aremounted on the shafts 8 of non-overlapping actuators 6. This meshingengagement further complicates the puzzle solution since, when the toyunit on the right in FIG. 3 is turned, the toy unit 4 on the left willalso turn in the opposite direction--a feature which must be taken intoaccount by the player.

FIG. 5 represents another embodiment wherein five toy units 4 arearranged on the housing 1. Like reference numerals to those employedearlier have been used. To accommodate the greater number of actuatorsand toy elements, additional colors D and E have been provided. Itshould be noted that, of the four toy elements for each actuator, threeare provided with single colored arc-shaped regions 9", whereas theremaining fourth is provided with a pair of arc-shaped regions 9'. FIG.5 illustrates the desired puzzle solution wherein five differentlycolored rings intersect one another. In FIG. 5, the turning axes arearranged on and along an X-shaped pattern.

Turning now to FIG. 6, another puzzle toy embodiment having five toyunits is illustrated. Rather than arranging the turning axes in anX-shaped pattern, the turning axes of the FIG. 6 embodiment are arrangedalong two rows. The first row has three turning axes; the second row hastwo turning axes; and the second row is staggered relative to the firstrow. Again, the rows are spaced apart by the radial dimension R, and thecolumns are also spaced apart by the radial dimension R. As illustratedin FIG. 6, the five differently colored rings intersect one another inthe puzzle solution, and depict the "five-ring Olympic symbol".

FIG. 7 represents still another embodiment wherein seven toy units arearranged in three rows and five columns. Like reference numerals havebeen employed as before.

The complexity of the game and the difficulty of its solution increasein proportion to the number of toy units. Of course, this invention isnot intended to be limited to the use of four, five or seven toy units,since other arrangements and combinations are within the spirit of thisinvention.

In addition, the actuator 6 need not have a star-shaped hub asillustrated, but may have other configurations. Rather than turning eachactuator as described above, a transmission system can be used whereinindividual parts of the transmission are engaged by pressing theactuator along the axial direction against a return spring.

As previously noted, each actuator is turned through a quarter turn totransfer at least one toy element from one pocket to another. Aspring-loaded detent may be employed to lock the actuator in each of itsfour quarter-turn positions. For this purpose, a set of four sockets orrecesses are provided on each actuator corresponding to 90°, 180°, 270°and 360°. A spring-loaded ball is loaded against the actuator and isaffirmatively urged and locked into one of these recesses during eachquarter turn.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, also may find a useful application in other types ofconstructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in apuzzle toy, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, sincevarious modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdeparting in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.
 1. A puzzle toy, comprising:(a) ahousing having only five circular compartments having respectivecenters, each compartment having a radial dimension that is identicalfor all the compartments, three of the compartments being successivelyarranged in a tangential relationship along a first linear row with thecenters of said three compartments lying on a first common centerline,the remaining two of the compartments being successively arranged in atangential relationship along a second linear row with the centers ofsaid remaining two compartments lying on a second common centerline,said first and second centerlines being parallel to each other andspaced apart by said radial dimension along a transverse direction, saidcenters of said two compartments of said second row being spaced apartby said radial dimension along a longitudinal direction normal to saidtransverse direction relative to the centers of said three compartmentsof said first row, each of said two compartments of said second rowoverlapping a pair of said three compartments of said first row atcommon oval areas; (b) a plurality of manually turnable actuators, eachmounted in a respective compartment for turning movement in eithercircumferential direction about a turning axis that is coincident with arespective center of the respective compartment, each actuator havingfour oval pockets, each pocket being of identical size to that of saidrespective oval areas; and (c) a plurality of oval toy elements, eachmounted in a respective pocket of a respective actuator, said toyelements including a first group, each having a single arc-shapedcolored strip on an upper surface of a respective element of said firstgroup, and a second group, each having a pair of oppositely curvedarc-shaped dual-colored strips intersecting at both opposite endsthereof on an upper surface of a respective element of said secondgroup.
 2. The puzzle toy according to claim 1, wherein the housingincludes a base and a transparent cover through which the toy elementsare visible, and wherein each actuator includes a handle that extendsthrough the cover.
 3. The puzzle toy according to claim 1, wherein eachactuator is independently movable.
 4. The puzzle toy according to claim1, wherein two of the actuators include rotary gears in meshingengagement with each other.